FEMA Worker Fired for Avoiding Homes with Trump Signs Says She's 'Being Framed'
FEMA Worker Claimed She Was 'Simply Following Orders'
Marn’i Washington, a Federal Emergency Management Agency manager, claims she was dismissed as a scapegoat to shield FEMA from 'retribution' by Donald Trump. This followed reports that hurricane relief workers in Florida and North Carolina were directed to avoid some homes with MAGA signs over fear of 'political hostility' as frustration grew among Trump supporters who believed the relief efforts led by the Biden-Harris administration were poor.
I'm Being Framed
Washington deemed the allegations unfair. “Firstly, I'm being framed,” she told CNN. Denying any violation of the Hatch Act, she claimed she followed orders based on team safety concerns. She argued that she is being used to deflect accountability from FEMA leadership. She also explained that her directive was based on previous team experiences, not political bias.
FEMA Safety Protocols
Washington explained that FEMA’s safety guidelines are shaped by trends of hostility encountered during fieldwork, which can change daily. “[The order] was just for that moment and for that day,” she said. In an interview with journalist Roland Martin, the former staffer defended the directive as a standard procedure and not politically motivated, as reported by New York The Sun. She clarified, “My orders come from my superior, and I simply just execute."
FEMA's Official Stance
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell labeled Washington’s actions as 'reprehensible' and emphasized that such behavior would not be tolerated within the agency. In her statement, Criswell asserted that FEMA holds employees accountable for violating conduct standards. Meanwhile, former FEMA employee Chelsea Nied criticized the agency’s directive to avoid homes with Trump signs as a reflection of a broader issue with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Nied described the situation as 'completely avoidable' and argued that such a directive should have been escalated to higher management for resolution.
Stand-Down Orders on Election Day
Washington questioned FEMA’s consistency, citing the agency’s stand-down orders on Election Day and the day after. “Why didn’t we canvas on Election Day or the day after? Was that political, or was that safety?” she asked. She suggested that these instances showed safety, not politics, often dictated FEMA’s operational decisions.
Broader Allegations of Discrimination
According to the Associated Press, Governor Ron DeSantis labeled FEMA’s actions 'targeted discrimination.' DeSantis criticized what he described as the 'blatant weaponization of government' by partisan figures within the federal bureaucracy, adding on social media that this reflected why the Biden-Harris administration was nearing its 'final days.' He also said that he directed The Florida Division of Emergency Management to launch an investigation into the allegations.
